Mission Analysis and Simulation

Optimal Rockets

Discrete Event Simulations

Ascent Trajectory

NASA Image

MAE 155A

Optimal Rockets
Rocket staging can be posed as a formal optimization problem.

First consider the single-stage rocket equation:

m p = propellent mass m s = structural mass m L = payload

V b = g c I sp ln

m pms mL ms m L

= g c I sp ln

msm L m pms mL mL

V b = g c I sp ln [ 1 ]

m p msm L ms ms m p

payload ratio

structural ratio

MAE 155A

Two-Stage Rocket Optimization

A second stage is added to the rocket equation:

V b = g c I sp1 ln [ 1 1 1 1 ] g c I sp2 ln [ 2 1 2 2 ]
1= 2 = m s2 m p2 m L m p1 m s1 m p2 m s2 m L mL m p2 m s2 m L 1= m s1 m s1 m p1 m s2 m s2 m p2

2=

Optimization attempts to find the stage payload ratios that lead to a maximum total payload ratio for a specified burnout velocity.
Structural ratios are constrained by fabrication technology.

T =1 2 =

mL m p1 m s1 m p2 m s2 m L
MAE 155A 3

Two-Stage Optimization Problem

Requirements for a two-stage rocket:
Burnout velocity = 9.5 km/s Payload mass = 350 kg First stage:
structural ratio = 0.07 specific impulse = 200 s (solid propellant) burn time = 50 s

Second stage:
structural ratio = 0.05 specific impulse = 350 s (liquid propellant) burn time = 87.5 s

Problem: Find payload ratios for each stage to maximize total payload ratio

MAE 155A

Optimization Solution
95001960 ln [ 0.07 1 0.071 ] 3430 ln [ 0.05 1 0.05 2 ]= 0
0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.06

2 = 0.05

0.05 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.01 0 0.15

T
0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65

1= 0.4
MAE 155A 5

Optimization Result
A mass statement can be made after the optimal result is obtained.

T = 0.02

1= 0.4

2 = 0.05

launch mass second stage initial mass first stage mass second stage mass payload mass

m p1 m s1 m p2 m s2 m L= 17,500 kg m s2 m p2 m L = 7,000 kg m s1= 735 kg m s2 = 333 kg m L = 350 kg m p1 = 9765 kg m p2 = 6318 kg

MAE 155A

Discrete Event Simulations

Discrete event simulations contain both continuous differential equations and discrete changes in the system state.

Events represent significant changes in behavior that are not necessarily scheduled with time.
A component failure may occur at some random time.

Event transitions can be represented by a Finite State Machine (FSM)

System can only exist in one state at a time. Transitions from state to state are organized by a connected graph. FSMs are frequently used for supervisory and autonomous control systems.

MAE 155A

Ascent Trajectory Simulation

State 1: Rocket First Stage State 2: Rocket Second Stage State 3: Coast

Rocket Stages

Coast
2

dV T D = gc dt m Re h dm T = dt g c I sp dh =V dt

Re

dV = g c dt Re h dm =0 dt dh =V dt

Re

MAE 155A

Sample Code
function x_new = stage_1(x_old, dt)

Main simulation loop simply checks which state the vehicle is in and calls the appropriate model.
for i=1:length(time) select x(1) case 1 then x = stage_1(x, dt); case 2 then x = stage_2(x, dt); case 3 then x = coast(x, dt); end end

[set constants ...] stage = x_old(1); V = x_old(2); m = x_old(3); mb = x_old(4); h = x_old(5); mdot = -mp/btime; // // // // // flight stage speed [m/s] mass [kg] mass prop used [kg] altitude [m]

// mass flow [kg/s]

rho = 1.752*exp(-h/6700);// density [kg/m/m/m] q = 0.5*rho*V*V; // dynamic pressure [N/m/m] D = q*SCD; T = -gc*Isp*mdot; // drag [N] // thrust [N]

dV = (T - D)/m - gc*Re*Re/(Re + h)/(Re + h); dm = mdot; dmb = -mdot; dh = V; [integrate diff eqns ...] if (mb > mp) m = m - ms; mb = 0; stage = stage + 1; end // drop structure // reset propellant mass // goto next stage

[assign variables to x_new ...] endfunction

MAE 155A

Simulation Results

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Velocity (km/sec)

Time (sec)

Vehicle Mass (kg)

Velocity (km/sec)

MAE 155A

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